Donations to OCCHA keep children in mind

A local motorcycle
organization donated
entertainment items to OCCHA’s youth group.

By ASHLEY TATE

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The youth of the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, OCCHA, played in amazement with newly donated air hockey, pool and foosball tables.

The recreational equipment was presented to the youth, ages 6 to 21, Thursday evening by the Youngstown Chapter of the Latin American Motorcycle Association, LAMA.

Efrain Rodriguez, 20, of Youngstown’s East Side said he was shocked to see the tables donated by LAMA.

“Last year we had a party, so I was expecting something like that; I was surprised,” he said.

Michael Olverson, a fifth-grader at Lowellville’s K-12 school, was happy to see the entertainment items.

“It was very nice that [LAMA] would just donate them to us and help us out,” Michael said.

LAMA is an international organization whose members enjoy riding bikes and participating in local community activities.

Luis “Bobby” Arroyo, president of the Youngstown chapter, said the group decided to donate the tables to the youth of OCCHA because they didn’t have any type of physical entertainment, only computers.

Maria Olverson, youth coordinator of OCCHA, said the youth knew they were getting something; they just didn’t know what.

Olverson was very thankful for the donations and said that LAMA is always trying to find a way to help out in the community.

Arroyo was also thankful for the support they had from the community and other local businesses in raising funds to purchase the equipment.

Felix Febres, LAMA secretary, said he went out and solicited the donations to purchase the items but couldn’t have done it without his good friend, J.R. Blakeman.

Febres said Blakeman, of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department, helped get a lot of the Chinese auctions and raffles together.

“I don’t think there was a business on [Route] 224 that didn’t see his face. He was on a mission,” Arroyo said.

LAMA raised twice as many donations as last year, Arroyo said, and decided to support OCCHA’s youth group because “it’s a wholesome atmosphere and we want you to keep coming here and be good students and citizens.”

East High School student Katherine Nieves, 16, said the donations will help to keep young people out of trouble and off of the streets.

Febres said the members of LAMA would do anything to help. “All of them are very hard-working guys. When it comes to the kids, they’ll give 110 percent for the community.”